Monthly Archives: March 2016

Have you noticed how most policies that the Conservatives roll out these days always seem to come with the tag line “most people will be better off” or “only a few people will be adversely affected by the changes”?

It happened with the tax credits cuts before that plan was abolished and it happened again with the cuts to ESA payments and indeed with the cuts to PIP before the Government did a complete U-turn on that too.

Well now it’s happened again with the imminent changes to Pension rules and the increase to national insurance payments due to come into effect on 6th April.

From 6th April 6 million workers will see up to £37 cut from their wages due to a 1.4% increase in their national insurance contributions. This will give the Government an extra £5.5 Billion per year.

“The government said the “vast majority” of affected employees would end up receiving more state pension under the new scheme as a result of the changes.”
– The Guardian

The implication is that some people won’t receive any increase in their state pension under the new scheme as a result of the changes and will thus be up to £37 a month worse off with no end benefit.

So like the tax credits, ESA and PIP changes before it, we have here, with the Nat.Ins/Pension changes another policy that will see only ‘most people‘ better off in one way or another (even if, with the Nat.Ins changes, people won’t see that benefit until they retire) but sod the people who won’t be better off, they can take the hit…apparently. Whilst some will see a better pension as a fair trade off it does mean a real wage cut now, at a time when many people can ill afford a pay cut.

The problem for the Government though is with so many policies (it’s not just Tax Credits, ESA, PIP, Nat.Ins. policies) affecting ‘some‘ of the workers that eventually enough people will be caught up in taking these hits against their wallets that suddenly the Government will find more than enough people are baying for blood including those from so-called middle England.

The Conservative Government with every policy change are hitting the poor, the working poor and as time goes on will start hitting middle income earners more and more and if you believe that its possible for them to recover from the mess they are presiding over as our previous article shows, you have to think that if they lose middle England then it really will be good night for the Tories.

Like this:

The Conservatives have not been in Power since John Major and that only changed in May last year. Prior to that of course they shared the floor with the Liberal Democrats. “Come back… all is forgiven!” Sort of. It seems the Lib Dems had been keeping them in check after-all because since May 2015 the Conservatives have been running amok, bringing the house down with it and quite honestly pissing everyone right off.

In fact the downward spiral started at the end of 2015 when Cameron announced he would negotiate his new terms for the EU as part of the referendum ‘Remain’ package. Bet he wishes he hadn’t started all that now.

Since then we have just about seen it all and perhaps now we are waiting for the final few scenes before they completely implode. Below is a bullet point list of all that has happened so far in no particular order. (If we have missed anything in particular let us know in the comments – contributions added at the end of the article)

In 2010 they made a promise to build 250,000 homes every year, they failed. In 2015 they issued the same promise and still they are failing to build anywhere near this number of houses as the housing crisis continues.

In fact we kept a loose list of things that went wrong whilst they shared power with the Liberal Dems;

-Austerity
-Wages not keeping pace with inflation
-Wage freezes
-Public service cuts
-ATOS
-Bedroom Tax
-Support for Israel despite unofficially recognising Palestine
-Supply of Arms to Israel continues
-War in Iraq
-Intervention in Syria
-Continued war in Afghanistan
-ISIS
-Failed to enact a referendum on the EU in parliament
-Promises to reform the EU but has not shown how they can do this
-Overseen failed attempts to organise an internal review on failure to Document child abuse allegations
-Contempt of the people by calling people who believe a child abuse cover up has taken place as ‘conspiracy theorists’.
-Contempt of the people by suggesting that fringe left are considered domestic extremists
-Altering policy to suit UKIP voters
-Privatisation of the NHS can be seen but is denied as being the case.
– “All in it together” slogan (we’re not)
– No advancement in improving the housing crisis
– Demonisation of the poor evidenced in part by their use of pie chart on Tax forms regarding welfare spending
– Downsizing council tenants despite not making available new properties to cope with demand
– Affordable housing, not being affordable
– The unpopular universal credit scheme
– Introduction of the Badger Cull
– Advancement of Fracking despite major opposition.
– Negotiating a 1% compensation scheme from Fracking companies to residents despite the US government negotiating an 11% package.
– No energy policy in place
– Advancement of the unpopular TTIP
– GCHQ/NSA debacle
– Zero hour contracts and part time work being used to manipulate unemployment figures

All we need now is for the PLP to stop derailing the Labour Party with infighting and get behind Corbyn. Thankfully it seems the public are seeing through the mess and the PLP are doomed to accept the changes or get out.

Share this to let everyone know how the Tories are messing the country up.

Additions to the above will appear below as a result of reader contributions:

– (Beverley) Promised flood defence finances not released in 2014 resulting in further flooding in 2015
– (William) Revelation that multiple Tories who voted for cuts to ESA benefits are patrons to charities whose users rely on such payments
– (Graham) 2013 Conservative government lost Britians ‘Moody AAA’ rating.
– (Graham) Called Corbyn and people voting against Syrian air strikes “terrorist sympathisers”
– (James) Forcing schools into academy status
– (Cristina) Despite over 80% of people being against a return to fox hunting the Conservatives have tried to repeal the ban.
– (Cristina) Not only did they introduce the Badger Cull as mentioned above, they extended it despite overwhelming scientific evidence that the Cull was ineffective.
– (Bob) Refusal of IDS to release evidence into suicides as a result of benefit cuts and ATOS interventions
– (Bob) Suggestions that welfare cuts don’t matter because ‘they don’t vote for us anyway’
– (Ruth) At its peak over 1 million people in the UK using food banks
– (Ruth) Sharp Increase in suicides rates amongst poorest in society
– (Ruth) Increase in homelessness under the Conservatives
– (Karen) Drastic cuts to the education budget and teacher wages have resulted in a teacher shortage crisis
– (Michael) Lack of provision for ex-servicemen as Military spending slashed by government. Angela Merkel suggests Britian looking to contribute to European Army
– (Jackie) Misleading on state pensions for women.
– (Jo) Conservatives have borrowed 4 times more money than any other Labour government in theit time in office.
– (Jo) Sold off the land registry
– (Jo) Taxpayers face £20 Billion loss on RBS sale
– (N McFarlane) Dirty tricks campaign during Scottish Referendum
– (Malcolm) The use of sanctions to manipulate employment figures let alone the hardship people face when sanctioned. Scandal of sanctions being given for frivolous breaches of ‘rules’
– (Josh) Bullying Scandal within the ‘Young Conservatives’
– (Vim) Changing trespass laws to allow Fracking companies to drill under private properties
– (Vim) Over ruling local authorities on Fracking applications or/and making decisions on Fracking applications where local authorities take too long to decide
– (Lorraine) Allowing pesticides that they know affect the bee population
– (Donna) UK government under investigation by United Nations for human rights violations against disabled.
– (Pat) Cuts to part of the NHS that takes care of the elderly, particularly social care.
– (Derek) Whilst in coalition gave the banks £200 Billion in Quantative easing to stimulate lending which failed to occur
– (Kelly) 56% cuts to local authorities meaning essential services cuts
– (Neil) Cuts to prison services leading to record level of assaults on staff.
– (Johanna) Google paying just £130 Million as back payment for 10 years worth of unpaid taxes.
– (Derek) Carbon capture project dropped.
– (Malc) Altering child poverty guidelines to artificially pull children out of poverty statistics.

1. The Paris bombers, the Belgium bombers and today’s Brits charged with terrorism were nearly all Nationals of those respective countries. They all held passports of those respective countries. They were NOT refugees.

2. Even though the EU has an open border policy the UK and most other EU countries still have security checks where passports are checked. We still effectively have borders. You can’t just ‘walk in’ to the UK or other countries.

3. Even if the EU did not have an open border policy passports can be faked. You don’t need to be a refugee to enter a country illegally.

4. The single biggest religious group that is targeted by Muslim extremists is not Christianity, it is Islam. Around 80% of all ISIS deaths in the world are committed in places such as Iraq and up to around 4 other countries across the globe (none of which are in Europe) against Muslim populations.

5. Muslim Extremists are not following the popular belief of Islam and Islamic teachings. Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance in the same way that Christianity teaches peace and tolerance. However, like the Westboro Baptist Church and the KKK claim to be devout Christians, no one would claim they follow the true meaning of Christianity just like no one with an ounce of intelligence would or should suggest that Extremists follow the true teachings of Islam. In fact the extremists use the teachings of Wahabbism, an extreme bastardised version of Islam originally taught and still exported to this day from Saudi Arabia with whom the British government is close allies with and sells millions of pounds worth of weapons to.

6. Claiming that the left wing political supporters have allowed the EU bombings to take place by being too accepting of refugees and foreigners is null and void when you consider that actually it’s the right wing political supporters that have backed the Conservative government in their clear drive against the refugees. Yet it’s this very government which is close allies with Saudi Arabia as mentioned above and has deposed two and a would-be deposed third world leader in the name of democracy which has DIRECTLY led to increased terrorism within the EU. Who’s to blame here? Other countries that have not been involved in any way have not been bothered by international terrorists such as ISIS.

7. Some people say the EU bombings are too much and start talking of actions against Muslims and refugees yet where was the anti Irish sentiment during the IRA peak years? No one was calling for Irish people to be deported or arrested at the drop of a hat and they committed far more destruction on the Streets of Britian than IS ever has.

8. Muslims hate ISIS and the people that associate themselves with ISIS and they do come out and say it. The media though rarely covers it. Look hard enough however and you will find the stories covering it.

The fact that Tory Chancellor Osborne is now being portrayed as to the right of Iain Duncan Smith should give no one any comfort. It’s somewhat akin to saying that Burke was slightly nicer than fellow body snatcher Hare.

As the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), one of the largest trade unions in the UK, with about 200,000 members throughout the civil service and government agencies, making it the UK’s largest civil service trade union rightly points out: “Hand-wringing cannot erase from our memories the policies he has relentlessly pursued, including the benefits cap, the bedroom tax and cuts to support for sick and disabled people.

Duncan Smith’s resignation will be almost universally welcomed, particularly by DWP staff and the millions of people who have borne the brunt of his cruel policies.

He presided over years of suffering and surely ranks as the most hated work and pensions secretary in living memory, epitomising Tory arrogance and indifference to the effect of brutal cuts”.

What does appear to be somewhat unusually lacking from the ongoing narrative seems to be the near meltdown of Iain Duncan Smiths flagship Universal Credit project just before his hasty night time scuttle overboard from his role as ship’s captain.

As commentator Bernadette Meaden pointed out at the end of last week online at independent Christian political think tank Ekklesia: “On the day he resigned, the DWP lost a four year legal battle to keep the problems with Universal Credit secret. Mr Duncan Smith’s flagship project is in deep trouble, but until now we haven’t been allowed to know quite how deep. Universal Credit may prove to have been a colossal waste of public money, and if it is abandoned, it would be a humiliation for Iain Duncan Smith. As one commentator pointed out two days ago, ‘the more IDS fights publication, the more it looks as if he has something to hide’.

“He may prefer not to be at the helm if his flagship crashes on to the rocks.”

In addition the day before Mr Duncan Smith’s resignation, Disability News Service revealed evidence that the DWP had dismissed concerns raised by a coroner under Rule 43, the “prevention of future deaths” process.

The letter concerned the death of Stephen Carre, who had taken his own life after losing an appeal against being declared fit for work by the DWP without reference to information from his GP, his psychiatric nurse, or his psychiatrist”…..

…..Read the Full article at this link (Also contains a partial list of MP’s who voted for ESA cuts and are patrons for charities connected to people who rely on those cut benefits)

Everywhere you look you can’t help but notice that IDS is being slammed for his reasons for stepping down as Work and Pensions Secretary. From his own Tory party to the Labour Party, from past supporters to everyone in the public with an axe to grind.

Grind that axe they might and with good reason, he has presided over one of the most consistent campaigns against the working poor and disabled for many a year and his reason for quitting despite it all? Unfairness. Morality. The fact he couldn’t in good conscience go through with the latest round of cuts, this time to PIP payments. A benefit received by disabled people up and down the country.

Many are saying that his reasons for leaving are connected to his own stance on the EU referendum. He sits in the Brexit camp and it’s believed this resignation will help split the party further helping to convince the public that the right thing to do is leave.

That may or not be true. No one knows for sure. But I take a different view to most, that actually IDS is genuine..at least in part..for his reasons in wanting to leave.

IDS has had a very secure position in the cabinet. Like a good school prefect he has towed the party line and gone through with all the cuts thrown at him.

Few recall the near fallout between him and George Osborne when it was announced that working tax credits were planned to be cut before the Tories were beaten back by the House of Lords. IDS felt that he was being forced into yet more cuts which his work and Pensions budget could not accommodate as Osborne looked to use those saved funds elsewhere.

Fast forward to now (shortly after the announcement of planned cuts to ESA payments) and IDS is presented with, seemingly to him, unexpected cuts to PIP payments. Or at least he didn’t expect it to be announced in the budget. Already under fire from everywhere for his implementation of cuts to the poor it seems his back was well and truly against the wall and had a choice to make.

If you had a job where every request to not do something was thrown back at you by management and you were ignored at every opportunity..wouldn’t you pack it in…at least after some period of time? That’s exactly what’s happened here.

IDS has been the man in the spotlight for a long time and all for negative reasons whilst best buddies Cameron and Osborne laugh away on the front bench as they take the, wrongly applied, plaudits for a recovering and stabilising economy. It must have actually been a job role from hell.

To me, Cameron and Osborne look like the proverbial popular bully boy school kids in a playground of followers whilst a few sit on the periphery just trying to stay out of trouble but will even Polish the boots of the bullies if it means being popular. IDS did Polish their boots and got no recognition for it, now having been pushed to the brink IDS has had enough.

Why would he give up a secure ministerial role? Why would he risk the wrath of management and colleagues?

This isn’t a defence of what he has done. This is a recognition that he has done a good thing and boy is it good for the opposition.

Remember also that Cameron and his minions would much rather you believe his reason for quitting was Brexit rather than because their fiscal policy attack on the poor and disabled being the reason. It looks far better for them and takes the heat away. Let’s not give them the satisfaction.

IDS smacks of a lost little boy. Let loose on the vulnerable with the backing of the playground bully.. and now finds he isn’t quite like them..and on retreating.. find he himself has been cast away from the popular crowd.

Sympathy? No. Recognition? Yes.

IDS was the willing and culpable whipping boy, Cameron and Osborne the architects and they are still in power.

***Update 21/03/16 21:55****

I happened upon this article in the telegraph this evening that does point to clear evidence of a rift between IDS and Osborne giving credence to the argument that he did indeed quit because of the interference from Osborne and thus felt the announcement of cuts to PIP were a step top far and the resignation having nothing to do with Brexit.

By focusing on the reason of Brexit as the reason for the resignation what the left has done is miss a huge opportunity to focus on and attack Osborne and Cameron as the architects of the cuts. Osborne and Cameron loaded the gun and handed it to IDS but too often they interfered because in fact it was them who had their fingers on the trigger.

Instead Osborne and Co. can sit back and claim that they are the listening and caring government they always claimed to be and have now backed down on cuts to PIP. Now they look like the good guys to the gullible. The relevant part of the article we linked to above has been reproduced below.

Feuds between George Osborne and Iain Duncan Smith

Early clashes over welfare reform

After a senior Treasury official described Iain Duncan Smith’s plans to reform the welfare system as “impractical”, Mr Duncan Smith told George Osborne that officials in his department must “show more respect”.

Child benefit

Mr Duncan Smith was caught off guard at the 2010 Conservative party conference when Osborne announced higher rate taxpayers would lose their child benefit.

Benefits for pensioners

Mr Duncan Smith said in his resignation letter that he thought the cuts would have been fairer if the Government had been willing to reduce “some of the benefits given to better-off pensioners”.

Child poverty

In 2014, Mr Osborne blocked Mr Duncan Smith’s attempts to redefine child poverty in a clash said to be motivated by “personalities”, not policy.

Tax credits

In November 2015 Mr Duncan Smith was reportedly ready to resign over a row with Mr Osborne over Universal Credit reforms. Mr Duncan Smith feared his flagship welfare programme would be undermined by Mr Osborne’s plan to raid Universal Credit to lessen the impact of the cuts to tax credits.

Disability benefits

Mr Duncan Smith said as he resigned that the planned changes to disability benefits were a “compromise too far” in the context of a Budget that included giveaways to the wealthy. Mr Osborne faced a backlash over his proposals to cut the benefits paid to the disabled by over £1bn.

The creator is tackling the forementioned problem head on despite all the odds being against them.

The page is highlighting everything that is wrong with a Tory government and specifically everything that is wrong with the local MP, Tim Loughton and sharing the content on social media locally in an attempt to change opinion.

Oddly enough Tim Loughton may have answered ‘A’ above, move town, as the post at this link explains. Tim Loughton just after being re-elected in 2015 told a local resident to ‘get out of town’ if she didn’t like the result.

'Get out of town'

It’s not the first time the local MP has got into hot water, with previous comments against the gay community where he compared gay people to child abusers and comments that implied that only a straight couples could reasonably be expected to produce well rounded children. Even single mums were implicated in the negative along with families where the parents were out of wedlock. You won’t be surprised to learn that Tim Loughton voted against gay marriage but did complain that straight couples were not treated equally to gay couples in regards to civil services. Go figure!

Marriage issues

As recently as last week Loughton referred to left wing political opponents as “scumbags” and has been reported to the parliamentary standards commity by several local residents for those comments.

One resident has started a petition to remove Tim Loughton and two other local MP’s from their positions as vice chair and pastors to ‘Coastal West Sussex MIND’ part of the well known mental health charity. A statement on their website states their positions are being reviewed in April.

Perhaps the biggest story though, certainly for locals, is the allegation that he claimed for travel expenses when attending a local memorial service shortly after the Shoreham Airshow disaster, the second most fatal aircrash in the history of airshows in the UK. Perhaps a moral question more than one of legality.

According to reports on the page Mr Loughton claims he walked from his office in Shoreham which he clearly did not claim for and then later travelled to Worthing by car, a six mile journey, for which he claimed… 12 miles. That is according to official parliamentary expenses documents.

Claim for 12 miles

The allegation is that the 12 miles is the round journey from Worthing to Shoreham for the memorial and back again. 12 miles. Although Mr Loughton denies that, there is one resident on the page that claims to have seen Mr Loughton arrive at the memorial in a car (remember he said he had walked) and then leave in his car again. Mr Loughton it seems has not addressed this part of the allegation leading to locals believing that he did indeed claim for the trip to the memorial service.

Caught out by local resident

So, is this the way to go if you live in a Tory Safe seat? Tackle the man (or woman) as well as the policies? Perhaps it’s the only way. If a Tory has managed to keep the constituency through the Thatcher years, the John Major years and three terms of Blair… it makes you wonder what would move a town to change the habit of a lifetime.